Secret societies have always exerted a fascination. Which are the most popular among them? What are their motivations? From the Knights Templar to the Freemasons to Skull and Bones, discover what we know (and don’t know) about secret societies throughout history.
The allure of secret organizations sparks both mystery and legend. And we’re captivated! Death, mystery and representations of skulls and associated symbols fascinate us. And orders that guard their secrets well are of course no exception. 🤫
The conspiracy theories have surrounded most of them for centuries, with rumors linking the Illuminati to almost every event: from the French Revolution to the JFK assassination. But it’s important to distinguish fact from fiction. Here are the real stories behind history’s most exclusive secret societies. Discover now our top 20 of the most prestigious among them. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
Secret Society #20: The Knights Templar
The Knights Templar were warriors dedicated to protecting Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land during the Crusades. Founded around 1118 by Hugues de Payens, a French knight, this military order was based on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Its members pledged to lead a life of chastity, obedience and poverty, even renouncing gambling, alcohol and oaths.
The Knights Templar were known for much more than their military prowess and moral lifestyle. After creating a bank that allowed pilgrims to deposit money in their home countries and withdraw it in the Holy Land, they became one of the richest and most powerful forces in Europe. 💰
What became of the Knights Templar?
Following the end of the Crusades and the fall of Acre, the Knights Templar retreated to Paris, where they concentrated their banking activities. On October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France, to whom the Knights Templar had refused new loans, had a group of knights arrested and tortured until they confessed to false misdeeds. In 1309, under the eyes of the city of Paris, many Templars were burned alive at the stake for their alleged crimes. ✝️
Under pressure from the French crown, Pope Clement V officially dissolved the order in 1312 and redistributed their wealth. Rumors began to circulate among conspiracy theorists that the Knights Templar were in possession of objects such as the Holy Grail and the Shroud of Turin. Popular books and films such as The Da Vinci Code continue to arouse curiosity about the Knights Templar.
The symbol of the Knights Templar: the Cross of Lorraine.
Secret Society #19: The Freemasons
Freemasons have played an important role in American history. Thirteen of the thirty-nine men who signed the U.S. Constitution were among them. Founding Fathers such as George Washington, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Paul Revere were all members of this organization. But who are the Freemasons?
Freemasons can trace their origins back to the Middle Ages in Europe. Cathedral builders, because of their frequent travel from one city to another, identified each other by signs specific to their trade, such as the square and compass, which have become emblematic symbols of Freemasonry. 🧭
Freemasonry’s beliefs
Freemasonry is not a religion, although members are encouraged to believe in a Supreme Being. Masonic temples and secret rituals have given rise to conflicts with the Catholic Church. The Church first condemned Freemasons in 1738, and subsequently issued some twenty decrees against them.
Are there still Freemasons today?
Freemasons still exist today, and their public image has been largely influenced by the charitable work of the Shriners, a sub-group of Freemasons also known as the “Ancient Noble Order of Shriners”. The Shriners were founded by Freemasons in 1870 at Knickerbocker College in New York and continue to volunteer today. 📐
How do I become a Freemason?
Membership is open to all men over the age of 21, and women can join an associated group known as “The Order of the Eastern Star”, which we’ll mention a little later in this article. If you’re accepted, you’ll be in good company! Famous Freemasons include Mozart, Winston Churchill, Davy Crockett, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Wayne.
Freemasonry symbol: the square and compass.
Secret Society #18: Bilderberg
The first Bilderberg meeting took place in 1954 at the Bilderberg Hotel in the Netherlands, hence the organization’s name. Convened by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, it brought together powerful politicians from North America and Europe with the aim of fostering closer ties between the two continents, against a backdrop of growing fears of anti-Americanism in Europe. 🇪🇺
Although not strictly a secret society like the Illuminati or the Freemasons, the Bilderberg Group has hosted leading figures such as Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel, Tony Blair and Henry Kissinger.
Its use of the Chatham House Rule prohibits participants from divulging what goes on at meetings, giving the group an air of mystery. Journalists are not allowed to talk about it, and meeting minutes are not published.
How do I get an invitation to the Bilderberg meeting?
Bilderberg meeting participants are selected by a dedicated international committee. Each year, around 120 to 140 people are invited, two-thirds of whom come from Europe and one-third from North America. Although most participants come from government and politics, there are also representatives from other fields such as academia, finance and the media.
If you were really looking for a secret society controlling the world’s banks, financial sector and governments, look no further than the Bilderberg Group. It was created with the intention of bringing the world’s most influential people together in one place, to make the globe smaller and more conducive to business. 🤝
Secret Society #17: Rosicrucian
The Rosicrucians are a society that originated in the same era and religious milieu as the Freemasons. Indeed, the Rosicrucians are considered to be one of the main influencers of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.
Their existence in general is not hidden, and their members are openly known as part of the Rosicrucian organization. They have existed for over 100 years in various forms around the world, with an ideological history that dates back to ancient and mysterious times. ⏳
The society was founded in the early 14th century by Christian Rosenkreutz. Rumors claimed that the group practiced occultism with the aim of bringing about a “global transformation”. However, the society only really came to public attention two hundred years later, when three manifestos were published.
Historian David Stevenson suggests that the Rosicrucian Society and its manifestos contributed to the formation of Freemasonry in Scotland. The order’s stated aim was allegedly to “build on the esoteric truths of the ancient past”. Moreover, many consider the Rosicrucian to be a guiding force in the creation of all modern secret societies, including the infamous Illuminati.
Secret Society #16: The Knights Templar
The early Knights Templar were a military order of Catholic knights who were often associated with various heretical behaviors and nefarious influences. They were among the most powerful organizations in Christendom, largely due to their international structure and ability to regulate finances throughout medieval Europe. They all wore white cloaks and shields adorned with a large red (sometimes pink) cross. 🛡
If a man went on crusade to the Holy Land and needed to protect his possessions, he entrusted them to a Knight Templar, as these had sworn perpetual poverty and therefore had no need for money. Their action enabled wealthy pilgrims to deposit money with a local Templar, who would hand them a document that could be used to withdraw money elsewhere, protecting them from bandits on the way. And although the members of this society were not wealthy, the organization itself became incredibly prosperous.
Origin of Friday the 13th
On Friday June 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France, faced with a massive debt to the banks of the Knights Templar, ordered the arrest of hundreds of Templars. They were accused of homosexuality, idolatry, apostasy and blasphemy. Many were tortured, and later that year, Pope Clement V, based in Avignon, France, issued a papal bull calling for the arrest of all Templars in Christendom. The order was dissolved and many Templars were burned at the stake. 🔥 The superstition surrounding Friday the 13th has its origins in this story.
Secret Society #15: Opus Dei
As we explore the darker recesses of the Catholic Church and its many orders, we shouldn’t overlook Opus Dei. Unlike previous secret organizations, this one doesn’t have millennia of history, despite its Latin name.
Opus Dei was founded in 1928 by Josemaria Escriva, a Spanish Catholic priest. His aim was to create an institution demonstrating that all individuals can be called to holy works, and that everyone can integrate holiness into their daily lives. Each member must strive to be as holy as possible, at all times.
Opus Dei members never openly declare themselves as such, and are not allowed to reveal their membership of the organization unless authorized to do so by a superior. Around 20% of members live in closed residential centers, where lifestyle is highly regulated and contact with the outside world is censored. 🤫
Critics claim that those who enter these residential centers may do so of their own free will, but once inside, they are discouraged from contacting outside family and friends, and so cannot leave at will.
Secret Society #14: Assassins
Secret societies aren’t exclusive to Christians. One of the most famous secret organizations of all time appeared around the same time as the Knights Templar, but was firmly opposed to the Crusades.
The Assassins, known today as the Nizârites, are one of the oldest sects of Islam, with some 15 to 20 million followers worldwide. Today, they are renowned for their tolerance, rational approach to religious study and commitment to social justice. But in the turbulent days of the medieval Middle East, they were both revered and feared as masters of assassination and psychological warfare. 🧠
It would be incorrect to describe all members of the sect as assassins. The sect, known in Arabic as Al-Hashashin, was just one of many competing groups at the time, and only some of them gave the group as a whole its notoriety.
Secret Society #13: Black Hand
In the wake of political assassinations, it’s impossible to miss this organization, as it’s undoubtedly the deadliest of all time. Gavrilo Princip’s name may not be familiar to the general public, but he is probably the man who struck the most devastating blow in human history in terms of loss of life, triggering the First World War. 💀 By assassinating Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, he triggered a conflict that claimed the lives of over 15 million people and defined the modern era of history.
The secret society behind Princip was known as the Black Hand. Princip was actually a member of Young Bosnia, a separate revolutionary organization. But the political consequences of his actions fell into the hands of the Black Hand, which is why the latter is often mentioned.
The Black Hand had been formed in 1911 by a group of army officers who had already overthrown the king and queen of Serbia in 1903, and who then devoted themselves to the cause of Yugoslavism, i.e. the unification of the lands that would later become Yugoslavia into Serbia, creating a larger Yugoslav state. Familiar with assassination tactics, they were organized into clandestine cells of three to five members, many of whom were already trained officers in the Serbian army. Their members included Serbia’s crown prince, Alexander, as well as modest students.
Secret Society #12: Carbonari
The Black Hand is far from the first underground political group to emerge with the aim of unifying their territory. In fact, one of their main sources of inspiration was the Carbonari, also known as “charcoal burners”, who had themselves followed a similar path, rising from a little-known secret society to a political organization of national importance around a hundred years earlier in southern Italy. 🇮🇹
The Carbonari can be seen as a bridge between the Freemasons and the Black Hand. Like the Freemasons, they ostensibly presented themselves as a trading society, even as a union of charcoal burners, calling themselves such and holding their meetings in “baracca” or huts, similar to those used by firewood collectors. Like the Freemasons, they were organized into two grades (apprentices and masters), and those who were already Freemasons could be exempted from the apprenticeship period and advance directly to the master grade. Like the Freemasons, they also attracted the ire of the Catholic Church, then all-powerful in southern Italy.
Their similarities with the Black Hand were above all political. Although they might give the impression of a commercial guild, the Carbonari were strongly motivated by political objectives. They emerged after the French Revolution and were deeply influenced by its ideas, placing liberal values and an emphasis on national unity, written constitutions and codified rights at the heart of their action.
Secret Society #11: Golden Dawn Hermetic Order
While our ancient secret societies were founded on political and social objectives, we need to take a step back to discuss this organization. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was inspired by both the Freemasons and the Rosicrucians.
The founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Lidell MacGregor Mathers, came together through their deep fascination with magic, esotericism (the study of mysteries) and the pagan traditions of Western Europe. Their attention turned to the study of the so-called “Cypher” manuscripts, which claimed to contain written spells for learning to understand the four elements, including alchemy, astronomy, tarot and other magical skills. 🔮
Since the founding of the first temple in London in 1888, the movement grew rapidly and became something of a fashionable phenomenon in Britain in the late Victorian era. Women were admitted alongside men, becoming one of the most famous and influential symbols of the patriarchal order of the time. Ten years after its foundation, the Golden Dawn boasted temples in Edinburgh and Paris, as well as in many English cities.
This secret society collapsed almost as quickly as it was built. The founders gradually drifted apart. Westcott handed over control to Mathers in 1896 after his colleagues discovered his membership. As for Mathers himself, he was marginalized because other members thought he had become too close to Crowley, which was considered strange even within a group of committed occultists. Yeats expressed his dissatisfaction with the order’s leadership in 1901 and resigned, leaving Mathers to carry the Golden Dawn banner into the 20th century. The organization still exists today, but it will never regain the power and status it had at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Secret Society #10: Illuminati
If there’s one group that would have retained its power to this day – if you believe it exists – it’s the Illuminati. Like many other clandestine organizations, the Illuminati were formed in the 18th century, at a time when the Freemasons, Rosicrucians and Carbonari were also emerging.
Their origins were as an order of rationalists in a conservative Christian society that sought to deny the influence of religion in public life and curb the power of the authoritarian German Church. Naturally, this kind of behavior didn’t earn them a good reputation with the ruling classes of the time, so they had to mutate into a secretive organizational structure.
They used pseudonyms to maintain secrecy and had set up a sophisticated system of mutual surveillance to ensure everyone’s honesty and deter police informers. The original group was in conflict with the Freemasons, whose members they regularly robbed, as well as with the Rosicrucians, whom they considered insufficiently revolutionary for a rational, technocratic society.
What distinguishes the Illuminati is not so much their origins as where they are (supposedly) today. Although they were suppressed in the 18th century, many believed that the Illuminati were merely dormant rather than dead. In some royalist circles, they were blamed for the French Revolution, as they certainly shared the aims of Robespierre and Lafayette. And they generally became the bogeyman of all conservative fears.
What has become of the Illuminati?
The organization flourished before being suppressed by Karl Theodor of Bavaria, who issued an edict making membership of the Illuminati punishable by death in 1787. But the Illuminati’s death didn’t silence rumors of their clandestine activities, and conspiracy theorists have linked them to everything from the French Revolution to the JFK assassination.
Secret Society #9: Order of the Eastern Star
The Order of the Eastern Star was founded by Dr. Rob Morris in the late 1800s. As a Freemason, Dr Morris had the idea that it would be good to have a way for women in the Freemason family to share the benefits of knowledge and self-improvement, while enabling them to act together.
This is the world’s largest fraternal organization to which women and men can belong. It has over 500,000 members worldwide. Men must be Freemasons, and women must be related to a Freemason. A deep fraternal bond exists between its members. It is a healthy relationship of brotherly love that manifests itself in high principles embodied in our lives, bringing us closer together and making us dear to each other. 🙏
Although this order is made up of people with deep spiritual convictions, it is open to all. The personal well-being of members is essential to all who are part of Eastern Star, and it is considered a privilege to help another member whenever possible.
Secret Society #8: Order of the Nine Angles
This secret society is considered to be a satanic anarchist group founded in the UK in the 1970s, which today operates worldwide, including in the USA. The group describes itself as a “diverse, global collective of varied tribes and individuals, sharing and pursuing similar sinister and subversive interests, aims and lifestyles. They cooperate when necessary for their mutual benefit and in pursuit of their common goals and objectives…” 🧐
Members of the “O9A” claim that the gods sent Adolf Hitler to guide them to “greatness”. They adhere to the belief in racial inequality and the right of Aryans to live according to the laws of the people. The group has also expressed support for former al-Qaeda emir Osama bin Laden, and praised Nazi Germany as a “practical expression of the satanic spirit”. They also believe that since the time of Nazi Germany, Western civilization has been corrupted by Judeo-Christian values, among others, and therefore seek to overthrow this civilization by violent means.
Secret Society #7: Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
Founded in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan spread to nearly every Southern state by 1870 and became a vehicle for white Southern resistance to Republican Party policies aimed at establishing political and economic equality for black Americans. Its members waged a clandestine campaign of intimidation and violence against both white and black Republican leaders.
Although Congress passed legislation to curb Klan terrorism, the organization saw its primary objective realized through Democratic victories in Southern state legislatures in the 1870s. After a period of decline, white Protestant nativist groups revived the Klan in the early 20th century, burning crosses and organizing rallies, parades and marches to denounce immigrants, Catholics, Jews, African-Americans and labor unions.
Founding of the Ku Klux Klan
The first two words of the organization’s name are thought to be derived from the Greek word “kyklos”, meaning circle. In the summer of 1867, local branches of the Klan met at a general organizing convention and created what they called an “Invisible Empire of the South”. Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest was chosen as the Klan’s first leader, or “grand wizard”.
The violence of the Ku Klux Klan
From 1867 onwards, African-American participation in public life in the American South became one of the most radical aspects of Reconstruction, as blacks won elections. For its part, the Ku Klux Klan engaged in a clandestine campaign of violence against Republican leaders and voters (black and white) with the aim of reversing the policies of Radical Reconstruction and re-establishing white supremacy in the South. At least 10% of black legislators elected at the 1867/68 constitutional conventions were victims of violence, seven of whom were killed.
Secret Society #6: Bohemian Grove
An obscure and controversial secret club meets annually in the California woods, and at least five US presidents have been members. The club’s rituals and secrecy have given rise to sinister rumors on the Internet. However, experts and insiders conclude that Bohemian Grove’s activities are no more and no less disturbing than a group of extremely wealthy men meeting in the woods.
This all-male private club counts US presidents, military personnel, artists and business leaders among its members. Members are allowed to invite guests, but women and minors are excluded. The Bohemian Club is almost 150 years old. It was founded in 1872 in San Francisco. Originally, the club was made up of journalists who led a bohemian lifestyle. It later extended its activities to artists, businessmen, military leaders and politicians.
How do you get in?
To become part of this club with around 2,500 members, you have to get invitations from several members or be on the club’s waiting list for decades. You also have to be prepared to spend $25,000 on entrance fees.
Because of its secrecy, strange ceremonies and elite membership, the Bohemian Club has long been the subject of sinister rumors. Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones even attempted to film a cremation ceremony in 2000. However, the activities of the “Grove camp” are actually harmless. It’s simply a group of men joking around, drinking with friends, trying to relive their youth and sometimes behaving foolishly by doing a bit of mischief.
Secret Society #5: Cadaver Society
The “Cadaver Society” is a secret society of students at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, USA. The composition and organizational structure of this group are unknown. The Cadaver Society has existed without interruption since its foundation in 1957.
This society, with its closely guarded actions and thoughts, has a bridge bearing its name, linking the main campus to Wilson Field, and its symbol is displayed in several prominent places on campus. Unlike the non-secret membership of the Sigma Society, the Cadaver Society is strictly anonymous. Some have speculated that the group serves as a branch of the Illuminati, working in collaboration with other secret societies at various universities.
Secret Society #4: Order of Gimghoul
In the autumn of 1889, Edward Wray Martin, William W. Davies, Shepard Bryan, Andrew Henry Patterson and Robert Worth Bingham formed a secret society. After hearing university president Dr. Kemp P. Battle recount the legend of Peter Dromgoole, a student who disappeared from the university in 1833 under controversial circumstances, the students were inspired to name their society the Order of Dromgoole (later changed to Gimghoul).
Only male students, as well as professors, were invited to join the organization, and no list of current members has been provided since its inception.
We know neither the actions nor the thoughts of this existing organization, which is why we have placed it in 4th position in this ranking. After all, a true secret society is one about which little, if anything, is known!
Secret Society #3: International Order of Saint-Hubert
The International Order of Saint-Hubert is a true chivalric order in the historical tradition. The Order is under the royal protection of His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain. It is made up of an international group of people, the Brothers of the Order, who are passionate about the sports of hunting and fishing. They are interested in and actively participate in the preservation of wildlife, its habitat and the tradition of ethical hunting and fishing.
Secret Society #2: Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is a secret society at Yale University, USA. It was founded in 1832 and is one of America’s oldest and most influential secret societies. Its members are exclusively Yale students, and membership is limited to a few each year.
The society is known for its rituals and traditions, as well as for the links and influence its members have in the spheres of political power, business and finance. Skull and Bones members are chosen primarily from among America’s wealthiest and most influential families, which has contributed to the image of a secretive and powerful elite.
Secret Society #1: Illuminati
The Illuminati is probably the most famous and controversial of all secret societies. Its very existence is subject to numerous conspiracy theories and speculations. Founded in the 18th century, it is said to have brought together Freemasons, Rosicrucians and Carbonari, among other groups.
The real aims and activities of the Illuminati remain unclear and shrouded in mystery. According to some theories, they seek to influence world affairs, manipulate governments and establish a new world order. However, it should be noted that many claims about the Illuminati are based on speculation and fanciful interpretations.
The Ordensbrothers are made up of upland bird hunters, duck hunters and big game hunters. This group is made up of people who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their careers and personal lives, and who have been recognized as experienced hunters or anglers. Membership is by invitation and sponsorship of an existing member.
Mission and objectives of the Order
The mission of the International Order of St. Hubert is to conserve and preserve wildlife and habitats worldwide. Each member subscribes to the preceding principles and applies them individually through personal power.
Secret Society #2: The Zodiac Club
The world’s most exclusive club is undoubtedly the enigmatic Zodiac Club, which has been around since 1868 but is virtually unknown outside New York historians and academics. These titans of industry ruled the country from the club tables of Manhattan at the dawn of the first Gilded Age through two world wars to the crash of 1929…
The Zodiac Club was founded in the mid-19th century, at a time when the company name was printed with a capital S. The founder was Edward Elmer Potter, a native New Yorker who studied at Columbia University. He studied law and graduated with top honors. After panning for gold in California, he returned to the Northeast and settled in New Jersey. He is best known for “Potter’s Raid”, a Civil War Union campaign he led through North Carolina.
The Zodiac Club began with simple guidelines. The first was that there could only be 12 members in the club at a time. Each member represented a sign of the zodiac, inherited from his predecessor by death or resignation. Resignation was reserved for those in poor health or too old to participate. New members had to be unanimously supported by the other 11. They met at dinners for their business meetings.
Secret Society #1: Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is a secret society founded at Yale University in New Haven in 1832. Skull and Bones founder William Huntington Russell was inspired by an occult society he had visited in Germany. The membership list includes several influential presidents and brokers of modern times.
Every year, 15 men are recruited to join Skull and Bones. What goes on behind the closed doors of the windowless meeting space where the “Bonesmen” meet twice a week remains secret. Members take an oath. Graduating members are called “patriarchs”, while members undergoing initiation are called “knights”. Outsiders are called “barbarians”.
Famous Skull and Bones members include Presidents William Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush and his son, Time magazine founder Henry Luce, John Kerry, Fortune 500 executives and members of the CIA.
The Skull and Bones symbol – a skull with two crossed bones – is well known. What’s less clear is the meaning of the number “322” beneath it. Yale Alumni Magazine highlights a popular theory that it represents the year 322 BC, when Alexander the Great died.
Members are required to adopt society pseudonyms, usually drawn from antiquity and classical literature, and to use a complex numerical code by which clocks are set 5 minutes ahead of real time. According to the wildest conspiracy theories, the company holds several skulls of famous personalities. Former president Martin Van Buren, Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa and Native American chief Geronimo are just a few of the speculated skulls. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
